Medal Bar

[Rocky]

Gentlemen, I would like to show off one of my finest medal bars. Also can someone please identify the second medal on the left side? Thanking you in advance.

[attachmentid=39180]

[Rocky]

Thank You

[attachmentid=39182]

[JBFloyd]

The Military Medal of Merit in silver on the war ribbon.

[Guest Rick Research]

Usually called the "Signum Laudis."

This is an EXTREMELY bar to a junior medical officer, not commissioned in 1908, probably a Stabsarzt in WW1. A Franz Joseph Order on War Ribbon with Xs was quite a deal for somebody at that level.

The Sudeten and Prague bar suggest he was some sort of Nazi functionary then-- not a civil servant or he'd have been given the Third Reich Faithful Service Cross.

If only this one could speak his name!

[Rocky]

JB,

Thank you. Does that mean the medal next to is is the same medal in a lower bronze grade?

[Rocky]

Usually called the "Signum Laudis."

This is an EXTREMELY bar to a junior medical officer, not commissioned in 1908, probably a Stabsarzt in WW1. A Franz Joseph Order on War Ribbon with Xs was quite a deal for somebody at that level.

The Sudeten and Prague bar suggest he was some sort of Nazi functionary then-- not a civil servant or he'd have been given the Third Reich Faithful Service Cross.

If only this one could speak his name!

Rick,

Thank you as well. I am amazed at what you could tell about the medal bar. A fellow collector and I were wondering what or why he would have been awarded the Sudenten with Prague. He did suggest that the original owner was connected to the NSDAP some way but we could not figure it out. I guess this will be a question without an answer.

Thank You

I am eager to hear what Kev has to say about this one. It was his collection that made me decide to post one of mine.

[Bob Hunter]

I find the Austrian medal bars to be far more interesting than just the ribbon bar. As you can see the Austrians had some nice looking medals but didn't spent a lot of time or money designing multicolored ribbons to go with the awards. Very nice if you like red and white stripes. If not you're out of luck.

[Guest Rick Research]

The Signum Laudis medals came in, ultimately, 3 grades: bronze (actually gilt), silver, and a giant super-sized I've never seen, ever. The designs were changed between the two wartime Emperors, so you have either side of 1917 for when they were awarded.

The bronze class was the routine bottom of wartime awards for officers-- about the same as a German WW2 KVK2X. It's harder to approximate the other Austrian awards, but a silver SL was next up the ladder, then the Military Merit Cross (which this guy skipped right over) and then the various Orders.

During the war, the Franz Joseph Order seems primarily to have gone to medical officers, and next most frequently to staff types. I don't know if there are actual numbers awarded statistics out there, but I'd say that FAR fewer Franz Josephs on war ribbon show up than the "German Cross in Gold" equivalent Order of the Iron Crown.

I base my best estimate on who and what he was on the Franz Joseph and NOT the 1914 Red Cross Decoration with war-related services wreath, because THAT was given out to all sorts of strange people for very weird and often inexplicable reasons.

MAYBE this guy was in the 1930s Austrian Red Cross, and was in that sort of organization for the Sudeten and Prague awards. But I'd guess he was more likely on the medical staff of some uniformed Nazi Party organization.

[Rocky]

I find the Austrian medal bars to be far more interesting than just the ribbon bar. As you can see the Austrians had some nice looking medals but didn't spent a lot of time or money designing multicolored ribbons to go with the awards. Very nice if you like red and white stripes. If not you're out of luck.

Bob, Red and white strips are nice, especially when the have swords and a couple medals hanging from them. I agree that the Austrian awards are very nice in deed. I love the detail, quality and enamel.

[Rocky]

The Signum Laudis medals came in, ultimately, 3 grades: bronze (actually gilt), silver, and a giant super-sized I've never seen, ever. The designs were changed between the two wartime Emperors, so you have either side of 1917 for when they were awarded.

The bronze class was the routine bottom of wartime awards for officers-- about the same as a German WW2 KVK2X. It's harder to approximate the other Austrian awards, but a silver SL was next up the ladder, then the Military Merit Cross (which this guy skipped right over) and then the various Orders.

During the war, the Franz Joseph Order seems primarily to have gone to medical officers, and next most frequently to staff types. I don't know if there are actual numbers awarded statistics out there, but I'd say that FAR fewer Franz Josephs on war ribbon show up than the "German Cross in Gold" equivalent Order of the Iron Crown.

I base my best estimate on who and what he was on the Franz Joseph and NOT the 1914 Red Cross Decoration with war-related services wreath, because THAT was given out to all sorts of strange people for very weird and often inexplicable reasons.

MAYBE this guy was in the 1930s Austrian Red Cross, and was in that sort of organization for the Sudeten and Prague awards. But I'd guess he was more likely on the medical staff of some uniformed Nazi Party organization.

Thank you all for the information.

Rick, Thank You. I find medal bars of all types to be interesting. Now I enjoy this one allot more.

[Paul R]

I cant believe that I missed out on that one...

[Rocky]

I cant believe that I missed out on that one...

I can't believe I let it go. (2) Beautiful Early SA Daggers were offered to me at a good price, something had to go.